Connection of fuel-tanks with their engines



R. CAUDRON.

CONNECTIONOF FUEL TANKS WITH* THEIR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG9| 1918.

Patented Mar. 9, 192.0.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI.

R. CAUDRON.

CONNECTION 0F FUEL TANKS WITH THEIR ENGINES. APPLx'cATxoN FILED Aue.9.191s.

1 ,333,538. Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@j )da Rezza Cac vf'o/b REN cAUvDRoiLoF IssY-Lns-MOULINEAUX, FRANCE.

CONNECTION OF FUEL-TANKS WITH THEIR ENGINES.

-To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REN CAUDRON, manufacturer, citizen' ofthe French Republic, re-

` siding at Issy-les-Moulineau'x, Department of Seine, France, have invented. certain Vnew and useful Improvements in the Connection vof Fuel-Tanks with Their Engines, of which the following is a specification;

This inventionrelates to an arrangement for Connecting one or a plurality of reservoirs or fuel tanks with the engine or other apparatus and it concerns more particularly a detachable connection to be utilized aboard iiying machines.

tween the corresponding pipesand in an-- It has for its object to enable the connection of a fuel tank or tanks to be arranged Vin such manner that if for any reason a tank is to be cut out of action, for example if it is set on fire,rit may be instantly det-ached and liberated so as to be dropped overboard vwithout detriment to the machine.

To this end this invention consists generally speaking, in connecting or grouping the junctions or feed pipes leading from the fuel tank and the corresponding ends or lpipes to beattached thereto by means of a contrivance comprising on the one hand two members, one integral with the terminals of the said feed pipes or their sockets, and the other integral with the `corresponding` ter' minals or sockets of the pipes to be attached thereto, and on Vthe other hand a device adapted in lone position to cause the two members to approach one another and thereby to establish and lock the connection beother position to separate the two members and, consequently, to disconnect the terminals of the said pipes, as will be more clearly understood from the accompanying drawings, showing, by way of example, a oonstructional formof'the invention as `applied 'more particularly to aeroplanes.`

Figures 1 and 2 of this drawing show re-V Y tweenthe member g and a fixed washerlor vplate bearing onl the female gland portions isa coil springe', and on the opposite side spectively inV vertical section and in transverse section on the vline 2 -2 of Fig. l a" connection constructed accordingfto this invention. Y

' Fig. 3 shows in plan view .diagrammatically an installation for feeding the engines for..the. admission;..of compressedfair, and

Application filed August 9, 1918. Serial No. 249,215.

Y pipes."

. tween them.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented D131'. 9, 1920.

with a feed pipe c to be attached to the pipe 1 (Z leading to the carbureter. These feed pipes a and o are arranged parallelV and 'at a short distance'one from the other.,` .Y

`'The extremities of the pipes I) and cl which are to be connected to the ends of the said feed pipes, are likewise parallel one with the other and. at the same "distance one from the other as the lends ofthe said' feed Secured feed pipe a and c is a gland a', c, respectively, each having its outer end Aformed with a female connecting element. Arranged on the extremity of each pipe b and al, respectively, is a gland b', cl, each ter-` in an opening arranged for this purpose in a plate f which is soldered to the glands and serves to maintain theproper distance be- Arranged in this plate moreover, preferably midway between the two glands, is acircular opening fo with diametrally opposed extensionsor slots f1.0.

The two glands o and d are likewisev fitted yeach in an opening arranged for this purpose in a 'member g which is integral with the body of the aeroplane and' which is rigidly connected to the-said sockets. Provided in this member g, moreover, coaxially with the opening fo inthe plate f is a central opening fitted in which with slight friction is a cylindrical rod L, provided with an enlarged heady adapted' to move with slight friction in the opening fo Iof the member 7. Arranged on this head are radial vprojections z"'capable of engagingwith the notches]E10 in the member f.

Arranged on the rodh and supported beis a coil spring l7', one end of which issupported against the ,member g and the `other end of which bears against a circularv washer ries a hand lever 7c.

As will be seem-'when the lever'lf;y is

brought into a position such, that the lugs ILO register with thenotches f1", and presby preference to the end ofeach secured on the rod L, which at this end'can ysure is then exerted byiwhich '--the spring z'-- between vthe plates f and g is compressed, the lugs ho are 'caused to pass through the notches flo and then by rotating the lever /c and, consequently, the lugsv fio, the connecting device is locked, insuring the connection of the piping, while the tight iit of the joint is maintained by the ressure exercised by the spring j. When tiereafter the lever 7c is swung around to cause the lugs h to register with the notches f1", and released the disengagement of the parts will be immediate,l because the spring z' forces the plates v f and g apart. These manipulations are greatly facilitated by the provision on the outer faces of the notches f1 of helicoidal surfaces, so that the rotation of the lever 7c in the locking or releasing sense causes the projections i" to be screwed up with or unscrewed from the said notches respectively.

if one of the tanks is dropped overboard,

the engine may still be supplied either from the auxiliary reservoir, or from the reservoir of the other engine.

To this end it is advisable when the feed pipes a and c are disconnected from ther pipes b and el, to cause the latter'automatically to be closed in order to prevent the compressed air and the fuel from escaping therethrough. To this end Aa valve, for eX- ample a ball valve b1", is arranged inside the end or socket of the pipe tending to yclose under the action of the compressed air flowing through this pipe toward the tank, and in the corresponding end or socket a of the pipe a is secured a rod 0.10, sothat when the pipe b is connected to the pipe a the rodV alo is caused to hold the ball valve 51 away from its seat, asv shown in Fig. v1. For the same purpose the pipe endf al is'provided with a ball valve d10 Aadapted to be opened only bythe action exerted thereon by the fuel under pressure admitted Y from thepipe o and counteracting any return of the fuellfroni the pipe d intoy the Y tank. v In the case of twin engines the two pipes d, as shown in Fig. 3, 'which connect the fuel tanks to the carbureters of their *engines, are connected by a pipe d2, and

the latterV is by preference provided withV a valveti2o adapted either to Vestablish communication between thev twoy engnesorv to interrupt any relation betweenV them, if desired. Y

It will be seen that if one ofthe tanks be alight, vit suffices to actuate the lever c in order to sever its connection from the respective engine when the valves b1 and d10 are automatically closed, after which it is suHicient toopen the valve. d20 in order to enable the tank of the other engine to feed the engine which has been deprived of its feed tank. Y j Y Moreover, in the twin arrangement it is advantageousrto connect also the pipes b by a conduit b2l enabling the air in the two Vtanks to be compressed by means of a common pumpl, as soon as the engine is started; this connection may be utilized in the case of a stoppage of one ofthe air pumps.

As will be readily understood, this invention is not to be held limited to the specific construction vhereinbefore described with reference to the drawings but is intended to cover all such modifications as will be obvious to those skilled inthe art, without departing from the spirit thereof. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention andin what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is l. In a coupling for connectinga fuel tank to an engine, sleeve members adapted to be secured to theV feed pipes of afuel tank, a plate rigidly connected to and surroundingsaid sleeve members, said plate being formed with a relatively centralaperture including 4radial recesses, ,coupling tubes adapted to be connected zto the feed pipes of an engine, a relatively stationary plate surrounding said coupling tubes, saidV plate being formedV with an aperture between saidV coupling tubes, a locking rod adapted to project throughV the apertures in said plates, said rod being. provided at one endwitli-radial projections adapted to pass through the recesses in the first-named plate, and vmeans for turningsaid rod to secure said sleeve members and said coupling tubes in connected relation.

-membershas one of its faces formed'with helicoidal inclinesvadapted to guide vthe locking projections of the rod as the latter is actuated. l

5. An 'arrangementA as claimed in claim" 5 1 in which one of thesleeves is provided 130 with a stem adapted, in the connected position of the parts, to open a valve arranged in the corresponding pipe connection and in disconnected position to be closed by the. action of the fluid pressure.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim l in which the feed pipe leading from the fuel tank to the carbureter is provided with a non-return Valve.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim l for two separate fuel tanks of which one becomes disabled, having the feed pipes of the separate tanks connected between them and so controlled by a Valve or the like as to enable the engine or engines to 15v be fed from the remaining tank. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto `set my hand in presence of two subscribing witlJOHN F. SIMoNs, PAUL BLUM. 

